


Love Is For Souls, Not Bodies

by Tafka



Series: Ficlets from tumblr [2]
Category: Avengers (Comics), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Ficlet Collection, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-29
Updated: 2016-04-29
Packaged: 2018-06-05 07:25:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6695230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tafka/pseuds/Tafka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of ficlets for Wanda and Vision, from various points in their 616 relationship and (hopeful) future</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. courtship through early marriage

**Author's Note:**

> I've collected all the Wanda/Vision ficlets I wrote on tumblr over the past few years and organized them into a vaguely chronological order. Chapter 1 covers their courtship through early marriage

 

~ **Birthday** ~

 

They had been in space for weeks, and, as prisoners, they were not often kept updated on the passage of time, so Wanda was surprised when the Vision turned to her on their way back to Earth and wished her a happy birthday. “Oh, is it?” was all she could think to say in her surprise.

The Vision frowned, “I made a note of it when you mentioned the upcoming date two months ago. In Eastern Standard Time, on Earth, your birthday began four hours ago.”

“Oh,” she repeated. She would say more but she was busy thinking about the Vision remembering things about her for two whole months. Unknowingly, she began to blush.

“Thank you, Vision,” said Pietro, somewhat peevishly, from the co-pilot’s seat. He did not sound very thankful.

“Yes, yes, thank you, Vision,” she echoed, shifting her attention, embarrassed, to the floor of the shuttle.

“Many happy returns of the day to you both.” His voice was hollow and his words were formal, but his burning gaze never left her face.

 

~ **Transparency** ~

 

It had been growing within her chest since that day at the dam, and no matter how hard she tried the knowledge of it would not go away. Soon there would be no way for her to deny to herself that she was developing tender feelings towards the Vision. Now she could only hope to keep that knowledge from everyone else, especially the synthezoid.

Wanda was a terrible liar, so she cringed after every interaction with the others, sure that they had seen her secret. She tried to keep her gaze away from him at meetings, then realized that looked suspicious, so she tried to only look at him a little. Then she would meet his eyes, and be sure that her own were a transparent window into her soul. He was, as always, impenetrable, if he knew her thoughts about him there was no way to tell.

She was so intent on keeping her feelings a secret from him, that she never noticed that he was already in love with her.

 

~ **Love-struck** ~

 

She was smiling, and it was more beautiful because she was smiling at him. Not that she wasn’t always beautiful, but he was 78.3% certain that this very moment was the peak of her beauty, until it was surpassed by the next one, when she spoke his name.

“Vision,” she was still smiling at him, and saying his name, and he was in love with her more with every expectant syllable, “are you going to call the meeting to order?”

 

~ **Cupcakes** ~

 

Wanda blinked at the stack of blue boxes Vision had carefully placed on the table in front of her. After a few moments of confused silence, she asked about them. She immediately regretted doing so when his slight frown deepened and she knew he was disappointed in her response.

“They are cupcakes. Miniature ones. You said they were your favorite.”

“I did?”

“Yes. From the shop on Broadway across from the theater that turned out to be a Hydra front. You told Carol that you hoped it wouldn’t affect their business because those were your favorite cupcakes.”

Wanda blushed and tried to hide the smile that was creeping over her face. Not only had he been paying attention to her banter with Carol while throwing Hydra agents through box office windows, but he had remembered weeks later and gone back to get…

“Vision, why are there so many boxes?”

“You neglected to mention which flavor you preferred.”

 

~ **Playful** ~

 

Wanda returned from her “girls night out” shopping trip, rushed directly over to Vision and waved a small golden cylinder in front of him. She had a mischievous look in her eye as she quickly applied her new lipstick, before giving him a big kiss on the cheek. She pulled back and laughed, “I knew it, a perfect match!”  
  
~ **Inhuman** ~

 

Kissing him was not like kissing a human man (or a mutant man, or a demigod.) His lips were smoother, their pressure more even, and his temperature tended to stay on the low side, even though she knew he purposefully warmed his skin for her comfort. None of this was unpleasant in the least. In fact, her skin flushed at just the memory of his distinctive sensation.

Sitting next to her on the loveseat, the subject of her reverie did not fail to notice her change in disposition. “Wanda, are you overwarm? If the room is uncomfortable I can–”

The Vision cut off abruptly when he met her heated gaze. Wordlessly, she reached out to lay her hand along the side of his face, and he absently mimicked the motion. The touch of his hand was different, too. She could tell that he had forgotten to resume his full density when he came to sit by the fire with her, and his touch was feather-light and slightly tingling. She imagined that feeling mixed with his kiss, and the thought was too tempting to let go. Leaning forward, she barely brushed her lips against his.

He must have felt the tingling too, because he responded by pressing himself closer to her and deepening their kiss, an act that he had never instigated before. His tongue swept between her parted lips, and it was smooth, and obviously inhuman. Wanda welcomed the feeling, and wrapped her arms around him, overcome by sensation.

 

~ **Honeymoon** ~

 

He hated the bathing suit. Wanda loved it. She wished she could convince him to walk around mostly naked more often, but she realized this was a special occasion. She decided to make the most of it by kissing him in the shade of a leafy plant.

The Vision relaxed immediately under her tender ministrations, so she let her hands and lips roam over his jaw, neck, and chest. She smiled as she kissed his skin just above where the top of the elastic sat at his hips. ”All right, darling,” she relented, “You don’t have to wear the bathing suit anymore.”

 

~ **Ticklish** ~

 

Three days into their marriage, Vision found out that there was a specific spot on Wanda’s upper thighs where she was very ticklish. The first time he found it was quite by accident, as he ran his hand over her leg as they lay in bed together. She curled up into a little ball in response, and giggled uncontrollably. The second time was just to see if he could make her laugh again. After the third time, she attempted to tickle him back in response, but synthezoids are not ticklish. This led to much pouting on Wanda’s part, as she decried this state of things as extremely unfair. Vision solemnly promised to not tickle her again that night, and instead distracted her with a heated kiss, while a sub-process in his mind cataloged that sensitive spot for later investigation.

 

~ **Allergy** ~

 

Wanda had never questioned her husband on his strange (or rather, minimal) eating habits, but it was starting to make sense now, “So the reason you never eat with us, and only drink tea is… you’re allergic?”

“More or less, I cannot process gluten, it’s a common enough affliction in humans,” he looked vaguely defensive, “it is in many foods, with the added risk of cross-contamination, it seems wiser not to inconvenience anyone with it, since I do not truly need to eat.”

Wanda shook her head and reached out for his hand, “Vision, you should know by now that you’re no inconvenience at all…now lets find you something you _can_ eat!”

 

~ **Tiara** ~

 

Wanda carefully pinned her new tiara into her curls and gave a critical eye to the neckline of her new costume. In the mirror, she caught the dark gaze of the Vision and asked, “What do you think, darling?” Heavy hands encircled her waist and three slow, deliberate kisses were pressed to her newly-exposed skin in response.

 

~ **Scared** ~

 

After the fight, Wanda would think it was silly that she ever thought there was a chance that the Avengers would lose. However, in the moments before the fight, waiting for their opponent to show himself, Wanda was overcome by the sudden thought of her own possible mortality. If she didn’t make it through the fight, would he know how much she loved him? She looked over at her husband, impassive in the face of danger, as always, and impulsively darted in for a brief yet tender embrace. When he looked askance at her, she told him, “For luck.”

 

~ **Vigil** ~

 

The Vision was rarely injured, but when he was it was almost always serious. Now Wanda found herself in a familiar room, sitting beside the stasis tube that held the unresponsive form of her husband. The situation was not new, but anxiety boiled in her stomach just like the first time. She knew there was nothing she could do to speed his recovery, but she could sit here, and wait.

 

~ **Peaceful** ~

 

Wanda said their new house needed a hammock, because there were two shady oak trees that were just close enough to make it a shame to put anything else there. Wanda cajoled him into lying down in it first, then squeezed in beside him, leaving one foot dangling over the edge to push off the ground. The light sifting through the leaves, his wife warm beside him, and the breeze caused by their gentle rocking made him realize that a hammock was an a perfect thing to have.  
  
~ **Nightfall** ~

 

Her husband was unbothered by the annoying little mosquitoes that plagued her if she wandered too far from the citronella candle. Still, he did not stray away from the tiny aura of its light. He wished to be was close as possible to his wife as they watched the last light disappear from the sky.

 

~ **Bouquet** ~

 

She found a sprig of lilacs on her bedside table in the morning, and a small rosebud in the pocket of her bathrobe. There were forget-me-nots in a bud vase next to the bathroom sink, and when she went downstairs there was an arrangement of forsythia and daffodils waiting for her.

At this point, overflowing with curiosity, Wanda abandoned her normal Sunday routine and went in search of her husband. On a hunch, she found him on the side of the house where a small cluster of bachelor’s buttons grew. When he saw her, he not-so-subtly hid a particularly vivid one in the folds of his cloak.

Wanda put one hand on his chest and kissed his cheek gently, “Thank you for the flowers, love. But what is the occasion?”

The Vision looked down at her seriously and said, “I read in a periodical that leaving mysterious gifts is an effective way to woo a potential partner.”

Wanda giggled and tried to ignore the fact that Vision was taking relationship advice from Cosmo. She kissed him again, and smothered another burst of giggles, “But Vizh, we’re already married. You don’t have to “woo” me!”

He brought out the little blue flower and placed it in her palm. ”Yes, but I still wish to.”

 

~ **Stolen** ~

 

Wanda tried very hard to hide her amusement when she saw her husband. He was wearing his tan coat and fedora that he purchased to help him “blend in,” but he was still obviously wearing his uniform underneath them. The yellow collar of his cloak was tall enough to brush the brim of his hat, and the hem stuck out a few inches on the bottom. However, he clearly thought he looked like one of the hero P.I.s out of his favorite Noir movies, because he was tilting his head and cocking his eyebrow just so. Wanda felt her face redden with stifled laughter.

“Come over here, love, and let me fix your hat a bit.”

When he obliged her, she snatched the hat away and dashed to the other side of the room.

The Vision looked only vaguely amused, “Very funny, Wanda. May I have my hat back?”

Wanda forced herself into a stern demeanor, and with a firmness that dozens of their enemies would envy, said “No, I am holding it for ransom.”

Vision became serious, and walked towards her menacingly, passing through two end tables and a loveseat on the way. When he reached her he paused, before surprising her with a kiss. She squeaked and giggled in surprise, but when she wrapped her arms around his neck, he completely forgot that he had planned to steal the hat back.  
  
~ **Present** ~  
  
He was quite perplexed by Wanda's present. Wrapping it was not going nearly as well as he planned. For one thing, it wouldn't stay in its special box, and for another, it kept nibbling on the decorative bow he had placed around its neck. The gift looked up at him and mewed. He looked back at it, seeming lonely in its carrier, and took it out to hold for only a brief time. And that is how Wanda found them Christmas morning: her husband cradling a purring kitten in his lap.

 

~ **Undress** ~

 

The Vision was eager to shed his clothes and climb into bed with his beautiful wife. More than eager, really, since she had interrupted his perusal of the evening post with a breathless promise and a suggestive look as she ascended the stairs. He followed her pace for pace, content to follow her lead for the night. When she swiftly undressed he was quick to follow suit, or at least try to. As he pulled up his bright yellow turtleneck he found himself suddenly and unexpectedly stuck in the neck of it.

As he struggled to free himself without damaging the garment, he heard Wanda’s light laughter. “Oh Vizh, just phase out of it, and come over to me.”

He did as she asked, feeling that he had quite ruined the romantic mood with his momentary lapse of poise. His wife didn’t seem to think so, for her smile stayed on her lips as she kissed him sweetly.

 

 


	2. Family & Loss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 covers the second half of their marriage through the events of Disassembled. This chapter is fluffy kid-fic at the beginning, and angst at the end. The ficlet titled "Disassembled" references child loss.
> 
> Edited 5/29/16 to add a ficlet "Echoes"

 

~ **Sleepless** ~

 

Since the unpleasantness with Isaac, the Vision no longer chose to sleep. It was not a necessary function, after all, and with sleeping came the chance of dreams, and he did not want any of those. There was almost no downside to his lack of sleep, except for one thing. It meant he no longer spent his nights beside his bride, and the loss of that small comfort disturbed him greatly.

Wanda insisted that she quite understood, and she did not expect him to waste hours sitting idly by her side when he could be engaged in more productive tasks. She further pointed out that she, being asleep, would not benefit from having a restless, alert bedmate at all. Vision would have pointed out that he did enjoy her company even when she was asleep, but wisely decided that would not be as comforting to Wanda as he had meant it.

This was fine, until after Wanda became pregnant. One day she mentioned to Vision that she could feel the baby moving and awake even in the middle of the night, and he had a thought. The next night, instead of phasing away after she had fallen asleep, he stayed, with her wrapped in his arms, and waited. He tuned every sensor he possessed on the baby, and was soon rewarded by feeling a fluttering kick beneath his hand where it rested on Wanda’s stomach. He smiled in the darkness, and happily stayed up all night.

 

~ **Names** ~

 

“Maya? Zoe? Oh, or what about Talia?”

“Talia?”

“When I was little I always wanted to name my daughter that… it sounds so happy.”

The Vision frowned in consideration.“It is pretty, but very uncommon. It is not even on the top one thousand list for girls’ names. I have read a study that shows a possible link between children with unusual names and teasing in elementary grades.” He looked over at his wife to see what her reaction was.

Wanda stifled a giggle and nodded. She had been inclined not to choose a name until their child was born, but the Vision had returned to the house that night with a pile of books on the subject of names and how they affected a child’s life.

“I think Elizabeth is the most appropriate and versatile name for a little girl. It is quite common, yet not so common that our daughter would not feel unique. Also there are many acceptable diminutives if she should wish to go by any of those.”

“Hmm, you’re right, I quite like that one.” Wanda studied their entwined hands as they sat with a pile of baby name books between them. “What about Anna? After my sister, Ana… or… or Anya, I suppose…” Wanda’s voice faltered. Just a moment before, it had seemed like a sweet gesture to name her own child after the long-deceased daughter of her adoptive parents, but then she was reminded of Anya. Two little girls, the older sisters that were gone before she was born. The gesture seemed extremely inauspicious, in that light. “No, I like Elizabeth best, too.” She laid her head on Vision’s shoulder, and thought about whether her daughter would be a “Lizzie” or a “Beth.”

The Vision flipped to the section on boys’ names.

 

~ **Sickness** ~

 

His wife and both his sons were sick, and quite miserable because of it. Vision stirred a pot of chicken soup as he hummed soothingly to William while Thomas snored loudly in his bassinet. When he brought Wanda her dinner he was rewarded with her bright smile and a stuffy thanks.

 

~ **Milestones** ~

 

Wanda and Vision were both home for the night, which was unusual with their hectic schedules. For once, earth-threatening villains were giving them a break, so they were able to enjoy some quiet time with Billy and Tommy. Or, at least, it would have been quiet, if they were not the parents of two just-learning-to-stand boys. They were extremely good at lifting themselves up, and not so good at the “not falling over” part. The Vision was enthralled. He would alternate standing over each boy and letting them hold themselves up by his hands before gently letting them stand freely. He would always reach back to catch them when they started to wobble, though.

Wanda watched from the doorway and smiled indulgently, but shook her head when her husband steadied Billy for the fourth time. “They’re going to fall over sometimes, my love, you can’t always swoop in to stop it from happening.”

Vision frowned at her slightly, and Wanda had to hide a smirk at the sight of him pouting just like the twins did. “But I wish to assure that they are progressing along the proper developmental path with the least incidence of trauma possible.”

She couldn’t help but giggle. “Falling on their bottoms from time to time isn’t traumatic, Vizh. That’s what the diapers are there for: cushioning!”

Meanwhile, Tommy had discovered that the best way to get himself into a standing position was to push off of Billy’s head. He was now standing steady, looking pleased with himself, while his twin sulked. Wanda clapped with glee when she saw him. “Oh, look! He’s standing! I mean really standing up! Ooh let me get the camera…” She dashed from the room.

When she returned, both the boys were again crawling around. She was mildly disappointed. “He stopped. I missed it.”

Vision nodded in agreement. “Yes, he fell over. But he was not harmed.” They both watched the boys engaging in their favorite game of giving toys to one another over and over for a few minutes. “Wanda, try to get a picture of them together?” He picked one boy up in each arm, and held them steady so they were standing almost on their own. Then he slowly phased out of their grasp, and backed away.

Wanda snapped the picture. The flash went off, and Billy sneezed, falling on his ass. Tommy laughed, and fell over as well. They returned to scooting around the carpet, and both their parents joined them for a game of trading toys.

 

~ **Kisses** ~

 

“Oh no, Tommy, look!” Wanda made a great show of false concern, “Daddy is brooding again! I think he needs a kiss!” Tommy eagerly obliged by blowing a kiss to his father, then screeching something unintelligible.

The Vision still appeared troubled. Wanda knew he’d received some bad news from the Avengers, but she wanted to wait until Tommy had joined his brother in bed before discussing it. Now that the twins were learning to talk, she didn’t want them to hear about the family business. Instead, she increased her pretense, and put her head on Vision’s shoulder. “Dear me, it didn’t work. This calls for desperate measures!” She planted a big, wet kiss on the corner of Vision’s mouth, and she felt it quirk up just a bit as she did so.

“Kss!” agreed Tommy.

“That’s right, dear, now give your father a goodnight kiss, and we’re going up to bed, OK?”

Tommy reached out his arms to his father, but instead of his usual kiss, he cracked his head against Vision’s nose. Wanda gasped, but Tommy just started laughing.

“Ah,” the Vision stopped his wife from fussing, “he is all right. I believe this is a sign of his continued cognitive development. He recognized that he was expected to perform a certain action, and, in performing a contrary one, he has subverted our expectations.” Wanda looked unamused. “He is developing a sense of humor,” he clarified.

“You mean a sense of dark humor. I wonder who he gets that from?” The Vision also looked unamused, but all three of them knew that this did not mean he was actually unamused. Wanda turned back to Tommy. “Aww, I think you’ve hurt Daddy! Look, he’s so sad! Now Mommy has to kiss it and make it better.” She pressed gentle lips against the bridge of her husband’s nose. This time his smile was unmistakable. “Time for bed,” she told them both, in a tone that asked for no argument.

 

~ **Emotionless** ~

 

Vision sat and watched the film because, he had been told, it was his favorite. He noted the artistic cinematography, the use of light and dark as metaphor, and the quick witted repartee of the characters. He anticipated every convoluted plot twist and character reveal, because he had seen it before, and so it held no surprises for him. As the hero struggled with the truth and two beautiful women, he struggled to find the reason he preferred it to other films that were far more straightforward and technically superior. As the male and female lead banter, he wonders what emotion he had found to make this imperfect example of cinema his favorite. He looks within himself, but finds, as usual, only an emptiness.

 

~ **Mirage** ~  
  
The shade that she sat in was gradually shrinking as the sun moved higher in the sky, but her mind was too muddled to care, and she was too weak to stand even if she did. She idly watched the horizon that danced and glittered in the heat, but was otherwise unchanged. Often, she forgot what she was looking for, but then her parched lips and swollen tongue reminded her. The Vision had gone away to search for water when it was clear she could not go on in the immense desert any more. He could move far faster by flying than he could while carrying her, so she had assured him she would be all right by herself while she waited.

She was not all right. She felt the heat and dehydration affecting her mind and her senses. Not a few times she had been sure that she saw a figure on the horizon only to discover it was a desert mirage. Finally, she saw the distinctive red and green of her husband’s form coming towards her, and her heart jumped with relief. He traveled quickly closer to her, and she felt as though they had been apart for months instead of only a few hours. She yearned for his loving touch almost as much as she thirsted for the water he was bringing back to her. But then, as he came closer, her eyes cleared, and she saw that this was a trick of the light, too. His face was pale, and his suit shone pure white in the sun. Although he clearly carried water cradled in his cape for her, there would be no tender embraces when he reached her side. Not even the illusion of love remained.

 

~ **Echoes** ~

"Vision... Vision, wake up. You're dreaming again, darling. It's time to wake up!"

Her voice echoed in the darkness behind his closed eyes, repeating a single theme indefinitely. It varied just enough that he could never detect a seam in the playback, so it always sounded real. It wasn't her, though, because she wasn't beside him, and he wasn't in bed. This echo was an error, a bug in his programming, but it was all he had left of his dreaming self, so he neglected to fix it.

~ **Disassemble** ~

 

Occasionally, Wanda would allow herself time to remember her life with Vision. It hurt, but it hurt more to repress every happy memory of the years they spent together. Tonight, as she brushed out her hair, she closed her eyes and let her mind wander back to a summer where they sat on the beach together. It was slightly too cold to be swimming, but she wore a bathing suit anyway, because Jan had complained that she had made it especially for her.

She didn’t end up in the water, but she laid on the blanket in the fading sun while Vision sat beside her, bending every so often to tickle her with kisses everywhere: over her nose, on her arms, and on the swell of her breasts.

Something about the way that he bent so gently to kiss the exposed skin of her stomach made sadness well up in her with a suddenness that was striking. She searched her feelings for the cause but found… nothing.

When she opened her eyes again they were painful and swollen, as though she’d cried for hours.

 

~ **Mourning** ~

 

Once he could feel again, once he was his true self again, the Vision often found time for regret. In the still of the night, when he was alone in wakefulness, he could often not stop his memory from taking him through every interaction, every choice, every cold and logical decision that the light of emotion revealed to be in error.

His memories were, as always, perfect and ready to be replayed at a moment’s thought. Then he had rebuffed the concern of his friends, and now he recalled Steve’s face as he turned away after Vision coldly told them there was no need to worry. He remembered Crystal’s tears when she had confessed her troubles to him, and he had ignored her moment of need. And then there were all the memories he blocked, of Wanda and the gentle flame of love that always lit her eyes, even after she had long accepted his coolness towards her.

And once, without his feelings, his soul, to guide him he had made the terrible decision to take a life. It was another artificial life, like his own, that his emotionless self had no compunction about ending. And, although it was not his hand that held the blade, he was as surely responsible for the killing as much as the others who voted for the punishment, if not more so, since he had swayed them by asserting that the Supreme Intelligence was not truly alive. And now, looking back, he still could not find pity within himself for the Intelligence after all it had done, but he did know that something more than a Kree supercomputer had died that day, and its passing saddened him.

 

~ **Unsaid** ~

 

Wanda was suddenly aware that she’d been standing in the hallway for longer than she had intended. She tried to shrug off the odd feeling that accompanied that realization when there was a voice from behind her.

“Wanda, is there anything amiss?”

She turned and forced a smile, “Not at all.”

 


	3. Starting Over

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 are from a potential future reconcilliation. These ficlets were all written over a year ago, so they diverge from canon somewhat.

 

~ **Forgiveness** ~

 

He was not truly a creature of pure logic, for there were many illogical things he had done in his lifetime. But still it was a driving force behind his programming, and so it was to be expected that he could not stay obstinately angry forever, since such an act would be highly illogical. At least, he would tell himself that this was his reasoning, and not any other more tender feelings.

 

~ **In-Laws** ~

 

The Reaper was so close to her that she could smell the sickly odor of decomposition that wafted off of him. She struggled to shake off his neural blast before he finished monologuing and realized she was still a threat. Wanda’s thoughts were so internalized that she almost didn’t notice that he was speaking directly to her. Of course, it was to mock her about Vision and Simon. She wondered absently if Eric realized that his insistence on only seeing her as an accessory to his brothers was the reason he constantly underestimated her and was always defeated. Let him laugh at her as he (correctly) guessed that she was still hopelessly in love with the Vision. She was currently regaining fine motor control in her hands, and he would soon be the victim of another of her hexes.

Before she had the chance, however, twin pairs of laser beams came from behind and struck her enemy. Soon Vision was at her side, supporting her as she could not yet stand, as Jocasta stood over the fallen form of the Grim Reaper. She tried to avoid thinking of the Reaper’s words about her and Vision but it was impossible. She knew her feelings had to be completely transparent, and this thought was echoed in the knowing glint in Jocasta’s eyes when she turned back to them.

 

~ **Nightmares** ~

 

He was drifting through the mansion, as he sometimes did in the quiet of the night. He had finished interfacing with the main database, and was about to leave, when he heard her call his name. That familiar sound, and the urgency behind it, made him stop in his tracks and fly at top speed to her side.

When he phased through the wall of her room, he found that she was surely unaware of his presence in the mansion, nor was she in direct need of his aid. She was fast asleep, arms and legs tangled in the covers. Her curls were tangled as well, and he could see from across the room that her face was contorted in a nightmare’s grimace.

She called out for him again, and he had almost decided to go to her side and awaken her when the door to her room opened, and he reflexively dropped through the floor. From his place hovering near the ceiling he heard a man’s heavy tread and muffled voices. Logically, it was most likely Steve who had awoken, given the proximity of his room to hers and his tendency to take care of the other Avengers. He told himself that this meant he did not need to concern himself with her distress any further, that it was taken care of. Instead, he floated where he was until all was quiet, then allowed himself to go, and try and leave her behind.

 

~ **Warmth** ~

 

He broke their long silence for a single phrase, “This is the rendezvous point.”

“What?” The wind was whipping Wanda’s hair around her face and carried the Vision’s words away from her as she trailed behind.

He waited for her to catch up before repeating himself in a somewhat louder tone. They were the only words they had exchanged after the battle against the rogue AIM beekeepers, their entire walk through the freezing landscape back to civilization had been just as silent and chilly.

Wanda looked around them and saw only the only structure was a semi-covered bus stop with a lone fluorescent light flickering overhead. Her brow creased in distress, she had been hoping they were headed towards a somewhat more substantial shelter. She shivered and clutched the edges of her trench coat closed as she tramped through the snow towards the stop.

After clearing the light dusting of snow with a sweep of her gloved hand, Wanda sat at one edge of the bus stop’s bench, and the Vision took his place on the opposite side, as they settled in to wait for Jan and the Quinjet to take them home.

Wanda wished that the side of the stop’s cover provided more shelter from the wind, but more than that she wished that there was something around to distract her from the uncomfortable silence that was now normal between them. She supposed it would be the height of rudeness to take out her Starkphone and start playing “Cupcake Blast” to pass the time. Instead, she folded her hands on her lap and concentrated on not being cold.

Her concentration was apparently not that good, because soon the Vision spoke again. “Wanda, is it warm enough for your comfort where you are sitting?”

“I’ll be fine, thank you, Vision.” She replied, but she felt her teeth chatter on his name and knew that he could tell that she was lying. She could also tell that he was regarding her with that look, even though she did not turn to face him.

He let a few moments go by before addressing her again. “I am able to raise my body temperature for additional warmth, you could—”

“I remember,” she cut him off abruptly. She couldn’t bear the sudden wave of memory that his words brought, but neither could she stand the cold any longer. Slowly she shifted over the bench until they sat shoulder-to-shoulder. He lifted his arm and wrapped it and his cloak around her shoulder. She barely stifled a sigh at the so familiar feeling of his arm around her.

She warmed at once, both from his proximity and the rush of memory. She searched for something to say to him, but he spoke first; just her name, softly, and unmistakably filled with emotion.

She couldn’t help but turn into him, to curl herself against his warm chest and reach one arm up to embrace him. She tried again to find words, but found only his name, and then nothing.

They huddled together against the wind, and waited to go home.

 

~ **Intoxicated** ~

 

They had already been walking slowly to account for the Vision’s unsteadiness, but Wanda still nearly walked right into him when he stopped suddenly in the middle of the road. He turned slowly to face her, and with utter sincerity said, “I apologize for my current intoxicated state.”

Wanda shook her head, “Vision, you have a computer virus, it’s not your fault!”

He seemed suddenly pained. Vision appeared to be the kind of drunk that had rapid mood swings between maudlin and giddy. “I am a burden to you, Wanda, you should go on without me.”

She had a sudden mental image of him drifting off across the countryside, and shook her head. “I’ll stay with you. It is only a mile until we reach the village, we can rest there until you are recovered, and hopefully contact the other Avengers.”

He shook his head and frowned. “Please, my dear wife, you should go back and take the quinjet back to the mansion. I will remain here until I may once again be of use to you.”

He had been unconsciously using old terms of endearment all night. Wanda did her best to quell the painful twisting in her stomach when he did so. “The quinjet is drunk, too.”

He nodded and turned to move on, but almost fell over. Instinctively, she rushed to support him, and they silently walked on, arm in arm. After a while, he began to hum an old tune, his inhuman voice lending a haunting overtone to the love song. Wanda was so distracted by it that she almost fell over when he stopped short again. Just as the village came into sight, he dropped her arm abruptly, and said “Alas, my love, I cannot go on,” before falling over on the side of the road.

Wanda cried out and rushed to him in a panic. She mentally cursed Tony Stark for assuring her that the AI virus wouldn’t seriously hurt him. To her relief, Vision did not seem to be injured. She grabbed his hands to pull him back up, but found that he had increased his mass so it was like trying to move a car.

His hands tightened around hers, and he spoke in the soft tender voice he had once used with her, “My wife, my love, I—” The light that normally flickered deep inside his eyes went dim, and he became still.

Wanda stood in shock for a moment, before struggling to disentangle her hands from his now stone-like grip. She only managed it by slipping out of her gloves, but his arms remained raised and unmoving. She knelt over him and pressed her ear to his chest. There was no heartbeat, but then there never was. She was relieved to hear the humming she was once so used to, and she managed to compose herself. There wasn’t far to go until civilization, so she took only a moment to whisper to him, “I will be back soon with help, my love, I will come right back for you,” before running towards the nearest house.

 

~ **Rain** ~

 

Wanda had been standing stock still for hours now, and she barely felt the small pinpricks of the ineffectual raindrops anymore. She stood on a small natural overlook and held her arms spread wide, an old rusty railing the only thing between her and a precipitous drop. Far below, the line of burning trees attempted to advance past an invisible border. Her power was strained to contain the forest fire, it tested her not only in its scope, but in its opposition to her natural inclinations. Her magic yearned to start the fire, and to feed it, and it was only through force of will that she commanded it to instead serve the cause of order. After all, there were towns to evacuate, and the other Avengers were relying on her to hold the fireline back at least that long, and it was not nearly as difficult as it had been with the red cloud.

She stood for hours more, and the world around her seemed to fade as she concentrated only on her magic. The rain grew heavier and colder but she hardly noticed, not even when exhaustion and cold caused her to begin to lose her balance over the edge of the cliff. At once, she was caught in a familiar embrace and Wanda jolted back to sudden awareness of her body. She was frozen to the bone, dripping wet, and the scent of smoke tainted every breath she took. None of that seemed important next to the sensation of the Vision standing behind her, with his firm grip around her waist keeping her from toppling over the edge.

“The fire is mostly out, and everyone has been evacuated. You can rest now.” As they stood, his mouth was very close to her ear, and she could feel him using the bare minimum of breath necessary to form the words. With all the dense smoke around, she couldn’t blame him for shutting down his respiration to avoid contaminants. She could also tell that he had stopped regulating his body temperature, because his hands were as cold as the rain through her uniform. He had been pushing himself just as much as she had, and used up too much of his solar energy. Once she would have gently chided him for this, that he ought to go into battle with full reserves, and take care of himself for her sake, if he wouldn’t do it for his own.

He began to speak her name, perhaps worried at her lack of response, and she realized that if she turned around just slightly, their lips would meet. Perhaps because she was too tired to stop the impulse from becoming action, she found herself doing just that, and bringing her hands down to rest on his at the same time. His lips were as cold as the rain and completely breathless, but she warmed at the contact anyway. Her heart went mad as his grip tightened minutely around her waist, pulling her closer.

 

~ **Reunion** ~

 

With Wanda held firmly in his arms, Vision dipped his head to tenderly brush their lips together. She shivered at the touch and returned the kiss with barely contained joy. He had been running a subprocess to keep track of the amount of time that had passed since he last kissed his wife. It was overwritten now, and he would never know how many years, months, days, and hours had passed. He didn’t need to know. That information could stay buried under the record of this sensation. It was over now, and he could lose himself in her kisses again.

 

~ **Hurricane** ~

 

She yelled to him over the storm, but the words were ripped from her mouth as soon as they were formed. The winds whipped at her hair and cape, and made her unsteady on her feet. She struggled to stagger to where he had planted his dense body, and she managed to stand erect only by reaching out to cling to the heavy cloth of his cloak, as if that was something that she was still allowed to do.

Again she tried to tell him the plan, to make him understand the only way they could overcome this obstacle and rejoin the others, but the roar of the whirlwind drowned her out even at this distance. She suddenly realized that it may not work out all. She looked up to shake her head at him and somehow communicate this, when she saw him looking down at her strangely.

She could not ask him what the look meant any more than she could say anything else, but after a moment she did not need to. She was at once enveloped in his heavy arms, and his lips met hers in a kiss as intense as the storm around them.

 

~ **Future** ~

 

In a hundred years, the last mortal she had called friend had passed away, and in a thousand the last descendant of their children had died, in battle, the way she had.

In all that time he never left the Avengers, although his life changed drastically in many other ways. There were always new allies and new foes, and old ones returning unexpectedly. There were new friends, new loves, and countless new diversions that even his advanced computer mind could not have conceived of within a human lifetime.

In a hundred years he never forgot her perfume, and in a thousand he could still recall the touch of her gloved hand. They were memories that he could call upon in the moments he felt the gulf between him and humanity was too great. A fragile memory of a kiss, a laugh, and a tender word could reach across the ages to warm his heart once again.

 


End file.
